Internal combustion engines typically include a plurality of combustion cylinders. In an internal combustion engine with a V-block configuration, a housing includes a plurality of combustion cylinders in a first bank of combustion cylinders which are disposed at an acute angle relative to a plurality of combustion cylinders in a second bank of combustion cylinders. Each of the combustion cylinders typically includes a plurality of valves associated therewith which are actuated using push rods. The push rods are attached with lever lifters, with each lever lifter having a roller follower which engages a cam on a camshaft.
With a conventional V-block configuration, two pivot shafts are provided which respectively correspond to the first bank of combustion cylinders and the second bank of combustion cylinders. Lever lifter assemblies associated with the first bank of combustion cylinders are pivotally carried by one of the pivot shafts, and lever lifter assemblies associated with the second bank of combustion cylinders are pivotally carried by the other pivot shaft.
The problem with an internal combustion engine having a V-block configuration as described above is that two separate pivot shafts are used to carry the lever lifter assembly associated with the two different banks of combustion cylinders. The use of two different pivot shafts complicates and increases the cost of the assembly process during manufacture of the internal combustion engine. Moreover, the use of two pivot shafts requires additional space within the internal combustion engine not only for the pivot shafts, but also for the range of motion of the lever lifter assemblies carried by each pivot shaft. Thus, the package size of the internal combustion engine is also increased.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.